The Philippine National Police is maintaining its full alert status following the ambush allegedly perpetrated by the New People’s Army in Bansalan, Davao del Sur Wednesday.
The ambush prompted President Duterte to declare an all-out war against the NPA using all available assets of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos, PNP spokesman, said all mobile units in the provinces have been alerted to prevent a repeat of the ambush.
“Well, we have our mobile units on all provinces. We can see that the violent attacks on our security forces only mean that we need to take an active defense at the stations and have our mobile units continue to have active support to the AFP in going after terrorists and insurgent groups,” Carlos said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“We will prevent any attacks on our police stations but again our policemen cannot just stay inside police stations.
They also need to go out and to render public service to the people,” he added.
Carlos also said that mobile units were tasked to conduct combat patrols to prevent policemen on duty from being ambushed by communist rebels.
He added that the PNP is now on active defense against any attacks.
“We will prevent any attacks on our police stations but again hindi naman pwede na kami ho ay titigil sa police station kailangan namin lumabas at tumugon doon sa serbisyo sa taong bayan so we will review the camp defense plan,” Carlos said.
“We will look at the information and intelligence info kung merong plano na maging target ay police station and then yung active patrolling ng ating mobile units para there will be at least a second or third layer of defense sa ating mga munisipyo at mga police station so normally ‘yun naman po,” he added.
The PNP has units in public safety companies and the Regional Police Security Battalion that were ordered to coordinate with the AFP available in the area in going after insurgent groups.
The PNP has been on full alert status since last year. (FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD)